Transposition key-board



2 SheetsSheet 1.

P. AUSTMAN. TRANSPOSITION KEY BOARD.

(No Model.)

Patented Nov. 10, 1885.

Illllll lill Attorney WITNESSES (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. AUSTMAN.

I TRANSPOSITION'KEY BOARD. No. 330,283. Patented-Nov. 10, 1885.

WITNESSES INVEJVTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL AUSTMAN, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

TRANSPOSITION KEY-BOARD.

ESPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,283, dated November 10, 1885.

Application filed April 12, 1884. Serial No. 127,725.

T0 41. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL AUSTMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Musical Transposing Device, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to transposing devices for pianos and organs; and its objects are, first, to provide readily for altering the accompaniment as to the tonic key to permit a person having ordinary musical knowledge to transpose easily the composition, and second, to accomplish this purpose with simplicity of structure. I attain these objects by the device illustrated on the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a portion of an organ embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 repre sents a detail sectional view thereof, showing the manner of actuating the music-producing keys. Fig. 3 is a view of my device inverted, showing the construction of the parts. Fig. 4 is a plate regulating the amount of transposition. Fig. 5 is a bar securing the mobile manual in position, also permitting its horizontal oscillation by reason of the sliding hinges and its vertical reciprocation because of the fixed hinge; and Fig. 6 is a projection from the inner casing re istering with the slots h in the plate I.

Similar designations indicate corresponding parts.

My improvement contemplates providing the keys of a fixed manual with a strip of felt (not shown in the drawings) near the outer edge to deaden the actuation when the pins j, projecting in series from the bases of the keys on the movable manual, are impelled by hand. The purpose of this construction is to enable a person of limited musical knowledge to transpose music mechanically. To this end the casing of the movable manual A is perforated in two series, which are padded (not shown on the drawings) to prevent noise. Through these perforations the headed pins jj reciprocate when impelled by the keys t, actuated by hand. The keys of the fixed manual B are of uniform length, but they are struck at different distances from the edge, according as the White or black keys of the movable manual receive the pressure. The drawings do not aim at accuracy, with reference to the musical scale, but simply to illustrate the principle of the invention.

(N0 model.)

E is a plate secured to the inner casing of the instrument, and is provided with a proj ection or pin,E. The movable manualA has eleven more keys than the fixed one, B, so that there may be no vacancy of the movable keys when the former is shifted horizontally. WVhen the position of the movable manual is to be varied, it is raised by the lifts d until the plate 6 thereon meets the lug f on the cas ing. Then the projection E will have cleared its position in one of the slots 7i, and the manual can be oscillated so that another slot will engage the pin E, whereby the actuation of a given tonic key on the movable manual will sound a different tonic key on the fixed manual, above or below the former on the musical scale, and thus a different chord may be produced by each variation, notwithstanding that the music (without transposition) is exactly followed on the movable manual, though the sounds produced differ from the music by one or more notes, according to the location of the pin E in the slotted plate I. The pins j are secured in holes 7:: in the under surface of the keys on the movable manual A. The latter reciprocates in the casing of the instrument by reason of its attachment to the sliding hinges G on the bar F. O is the ledge of the manual A.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The movable manual A, provided with slotted plate I at each end, and keys 2', having pins j.

2. The movable manual A, having lifts d, plate e, and slotted plate I, in combination with the casing D of the instrument, having pin E and hinges G.

3. The frame I), having two series of perforations, Z, and the movable manual A, having keys 1., provided with headed pins j, in combination with the fixed manual B, having keys of uniform length.

4. The movable manual A, having lifts d, perforations Z1, and plates 6 I, in combination with the casing D of the instrument, having bar F, plate E, having pin E, and hinges G, the whole co-operating as and for the'pnrpose set forth.

PAUL AUSTMAN.

W'itnesses:

AUGUST BAUMGARTNER, J 01m RAEUOHLE. 

